Inside a small bungalow within the street separating Kansas, Kansas, looking at the sister city in Missouri, a small number of entrepreneurs will work on the ideas for the following high-tech startup, tapping Google's new superfast internet connection that has turned the neighborhood into an unlikely settlement dubbed the " Silicon Prairie."
The property on State Line Road is among several startup-friendly locations that contain sprouted up in Kansas City lately. The catalyst is Google Fiber, the search-engine giant's fiber-optic network being tested within the Kansas area that advertises speeds up to a gigabyte per second a rate that massively exceeds the normal internet speeds at homes hooked up with cable modems.
The power in charge of startups is not hard: A fast internet pipe makes it easier to manage large files and eliminates buffering issues that plague online video, live conferencing or other network-intensive tasks. Although the Kansas location presents challenges for startups, such as the capability to raise money outside the traditional Silicon Valley growth capital scene, entrepreneurs like Synthia Payne believe oahu is the place to be at this time for up-and-coming tech companies.
The property on State Line Road is among several startup-friendly locations that contain sprouted up in Kansas City lately. The catalyst is Google Fiber, the search-engine giant's fiber-optic network being tested within the Kansas area that advertises speeds up to a gigabyte per second a rate that massively exceeds the normal internet speeds at homes hooked up with cable modems.
The power in charge of startups is not hard: A fast internet pipe makes it easier to manage large files and eliminates buffering issues that plague online video, live conferencing or other network-intensive tasks. Although the Kansas location presents challenges for startups, such as the capability to raise money outside the traditional Silicon Valley growth capital scene, entrepreneurs like Synthia Payne believe oahu is the place to be at this time for up-and-coming tech companies.
Payne is just one of those entrepreneurs looking to launch her startup dream a broadband subscription service for musicians who want to collaborate online inexpensively. She shares the State Line Road house, known as the "Home for Hackers," to startups within a deal allowing these to live rent-free while they develop their business plans.
Google's network was attractive, Payne said, because her strategic plan "is determined by really good, really fast internet."
"Without this on-ramp this i would have realized it extremely tough in the future here," said Payne, who in December moved from Denver to develop CyberJammer.
Residents here were thrilled when Google announced a year ago that Kansas, Kansas, and neighboring Kansas, Missouri, could be its test bed for Google Fiber. The Mountain View, California-based company spent months and unknown sums installing glass fiber around the area. Google supplies the full gigabit service for $70 monthly as well as own cable-TV like service for one more $50. A slower internet connection costs nothing on a monthly basis following a $300 installation fee.
The 1st homes were installed with fibre optics inside the fall, with an increase of "fiberhoods" planned bit by bit on the next many months. Might, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, remain Google's only fiber market, though the company says it plans additional roll-outs. Many from the tech industry believe Google's move could ultimately force broadband providers to accelerate their networks to compete. Making internet access faster hands the corporation more the opportunity to attract traffic then sell more advertising - the principle way Google makes money.
The "Home for Hackers" and unique business pitch will be the brainchild of local webmaster Ben Barreth, whose property was one of the first wave of houses to get fiber-wired which is a block from the Google Fiber offices. "Hackers" who pass Barreth's application and show a real intention to be effective with a viable project can live there rent-free for 3 months. Since starting the home in October after cashing in the pension account and locating a advance payment about the $48,000 home, Barreth has got applications from nearly 60 people seeking a spot in the house.
"The main startup part of Kansas is similar to this huge growing beast," he explained. "It offers this crazy momentum."
The home have been full since mid-December with Payne and a couple others. One of several rooms also is restricted to fiber tourists who desire an area a few days where they might download anything faster than they might elsewhere.
"Desperation is the fact these startups will move their operations to Kansas which will really bless Kansas City, bring jobs and taxes and we'll make a nice tech scene," Barreth said.
Some homes away from the "Home for Hackers" will be the headquarters with the Might Startup Village, that has been started by local entrepreneur Matthew Marcus and where Mike Farmer, founder of mobile search app Leap2.com, has his offices. Farmer said Google Fiber brought awareness of Kansas City's startup culture, "since it kind of ignites the imagination by what you can apply achievable form of bandwidth capability."
"Just about every week I meet one or two or three people who want to come in from away," he was quoted saying.
